1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector fitting construction in which a half-fitted condition is positively prevented by a resilient force of a resilient member mounted in a housing of at least one of a pair of male and female connectors to be fitted together, and the two connectors are kept in a good mutually-fitted condition.
2. Background
Usually, many electronic equipments for effecting various controls are mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and therefore, naturally, many wire harnesses and flat cables have been used. Automobiles and the like are used in a severe environment in which vibrations and submergence are encountered, and therefore there have been used various types of female and male connectors which have a waterproof function, and can be easily connected to and disconnected from a wire harness or the like in view of the efficiency of an assembling operation and the efficiency of the maintenance.
Various half-fitting prevention connectors, in which a condition of fitting between female and male connectors, can be detected, have been used, and one such half-fitting prevention connector is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 5-81967.
One example of conventional half-fitting prevention connector will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. A pin-type connector 50 has a plurality of pin contacts 52 arranged therein, and has a pair of mounting flanges 50a formed respectively at opposite sides thereof. A socket-type connector 51 has a plurality of socket contacts 53 arranged therein, and wires 53a are connected to the socket contacts 53, respectively.
The pin-type connector 50 includes a box-shaped housing 54 having an open front side, and a guide plate 55 for guiding the fitting of the socket-type connector 51 is mounted centrally of the height within the housing 54, and divides the interior of the housing 54 into an upper portion and a lower portion. Within the housing 54, the pin contacts 52 extend from a rear portion toward the front side of this housing. A notch is formed in a middle portion of a top plate 54b, and an engagement piece portion 56 is formed integrally with the top plate 54b so as to extend frontwardly, and is disposed in this notch. A distal end of the engagement piece portion 56 is receded from the front edge of the top plate 54b, and is cantilevered to have a flexibility. An engagement projection 56a is formed on the inner side of the distal end of the engagement piece portion 56.
The socket-type connector 51 includes a box-shaped housing 57 to be fitted into the opening in the housing 54 of the pin-type connector 50. Pin holes 58 for respectively receiving the pin contacts 52, and a slot 59 for receiving the guide plate 55 are provided in the front side of the housing 57.
A movable cover 60 is fitted on the housing 57 for movement back and forth, and covers the housing 57 except front and rear end portions thereof. An opening 61, for receiving the pin-type connector 50, is formed in the front side of the movable cover 60. The opening 61 has such a size as to receive the opposite side plates 54a, the top plate 54b and a bottom plate 54c of the housing 54.
A pair of opposed spring receiving portions (not shown) are formed respectively at opposite side portions of the movable cover 60 and hence at opposite side portions of the housing 57, and springs 64 are received respectively in the spring receiving portions, each of the springs 64 extending in the forward-backward direction. The movable cover 60 is normally urged forward by the springs 64, and is retained by slots 65, formed through an upper wall of the movable cover 60, and projections 66 formed on the upper surface of the housing 57. An engagement groove 67 is formed in the upper surface of the housing 57, and the engagement projection 56a of the engagement piece portion 56 is engaged in the engagement groove 67 when the two connectors are completely connected together. The engagement groove 67 is normally concealed by the movable cover 60, and appears when the movable cover 60 is moved.
When the two connectors 50 and 51 are fitted together, the pin contacts 52 contact the socket contacts 53, respectively, and the engagement projection 56a is engaged in the engagement groove 67, as shown in FIG. 9. In this fitted condition, the springs 64 are compressed, and the engagement piece portion 56 is covered by the movable cover 60, so that the engagement projection 56a can not be disengaged from the engagement groove 67, thereby positively maintaining the connected condition.
On the other hand, when the completely-fitted condition is not achieved, that is, a half-fitted condition is encountered, the distal end of the engagement piece portion 56 abuts against the edge of the opening in the movable cover 60, and the springs 64 are compressed. Therefore, the movable cover 60 presses the engagement piece portion 56 under the influence of the springs 64, and therefore the two connectors 50 and 51 are urged away from each other, and can not be fitted together.
In the connectors 50 and 51, however, the half-fitted condition can be prevented, but when trying to fit the two connectors 50 and 51 together while holding the opposite side surfaces of the movable cover 60 with the hand, the movable cover 60 can not be moved, so that the fitting operation can not be effected.
The opposed spring receiving portions are provided respectively at the opposite side portions of the housing 57 and at the opposite side portions of the housing 57, and besides the movable cover 60 is mounted on the outer periphery of the housing 57, so that the socket-type connector 51 has an increased size, and therefore this construction is not suitable for a small-size connector for connecting a few female and male contacts together.
There is also known the type of half-fitting prevention connector which includes a housing for receiving a lock member for locking two connectors together in a mutually-fitted condition, and another separate housing having terminal receiving chambers for respectively receiving contacts. In this type of connector, when wires are pulled obliquely, the two housings are often flexed away from each other, which results in a problem that the force to hold the two connectors together is reduced.